Operation Gray Ghost

Operation Gray Ghost (24-25 November 1965) was a military operation carried out by the United States during the Vietnam War, taking place shortly after the Battle of Ia Drang. The Americans decreased the Viet Cong corridor in the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon with gunfire and napalm strikes, and pushed the communist forces back.

Background
Since early 1965, Viet Cong troops were active in the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon. They bombed a GI bar at Jimmy Wa's, killing 2 American troops and wounding 3; they proceeded to carry out many more bomb attacks as students in the city protested. Student protesters were beaten by policemen with batons, and Saigon fell into chaos. In November 1965, the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War continued as they suffered heavy casualties in their first match with North Vietnam at the Battle of Ia Drang. They increased their troop numbers in Vietnam, and one of their major goals was to evict the Viet Cong insurgents from Saigon. General William Westmoreland planned a cooperative effort between American and South Vietnamese troops to drive the Viet Cong out of Saigon, so he ordered a force of US troops and SVA troops to clear out the expanding VC corridor in the city.

Operation
Code-named "Gray Ghost", the operation's goal was to push the Viet Cong back to a certain area where they could be contained. The Americans took up positions behind sandbags on the ruins of buildings and behind destroyed cars, gunning down VC forces charging underneath a derailed train bridge. The Americans used napalm to push back the VC troops, and they were able to inflict 100 losses in close combat, while 67 US troops were lost. The VC were forced to retreat, and the Americans succeeded in their goals.